Republican Senate candidate Kevin Hern is putting pressure on members of his own party after claiming Oklahoma voters repeatedly ask him why Congress has yet to send the SAVE Act to President Donald Trump’s desk.
The five-term congressman said he understands Democratic opposition to the election bill, but is baffled by resistance from some Republican senators.
After cruising to victory in Tuesday’s GOP primary, the Oklahoma Republican told Fox News that the issue voters raise most often is the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.
“They’re saying we need to work on, you know, the SAVE Act,” Hern said ahead of primary day. “I mean, this is time and time again.”
The legislation, which would require proof of citizenship for voter registration, remains stuck in the Senate. Democrats have uniformly opposed the measure, while several Republicans have voted against various versions of the bill.
“This is something I’m not real sure why Republican senators are not supporting,” Hern said. “I understand why Democrats don’t support it. They don’t support anything that protects America.”
Hern is wrapping up his fifth term in the House, where he serves as chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, making him the fourth-ranking member of GOP leadership. He also mounted a bid for speaker after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was ousted from the post.
The congressman launched his Senate campaign after President Donald Trump tapped fellow Oklahoman Markwayne Mullin to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, opening up the Senate seat.
Since entering the race, Hern has racked up endorsements from Trump and several senators. The president praised him as being “strongly supported by the fiercest MAGA Warriors in Oklahoma, and the most Highly Respected Leaders in the United States Senate!”
Hern said support for Trump runs deep in Oklahoma.
“They love the president. They love the fact that I support the president and I work with the president,” he said.
The Republican nominee is expected to enter the general election as a heavy favorite in the deep-red state. Trump has carried Oklahoma and all 77 counties in the state in each of his three presidential victories.
Still, Hern said he has no plans to coast through November.
Raised in poverty and growing up without indoor plumbing, Hern eventually built a business empire that included ownership of 24 McDonald’s restaurants, earning him the nickname “McCongressman.”
“I just respect the idea of work. I think working hard gives you a chance to compete with anybody,” Hern said. “And so, same thing with the Senate race. I came out strong, set a tone from day one.”
“The president endorsed me in the first 48 hours because of the work I’ve done over the last eight years,” he continued. “And I think it goes back to that common word of work and working hard.”
Should he win in November, Hern is leaving the door open to a future leadership role in the Senate GOP conference.
Recalling lessons from his business career, Hern said success comes from preparing long before opportunities present themselves.
Hern said that throughout his business career, he would tell anyone that “if you wait till something comes available, and you start working hard, it’s too late because there are other people like me that have started out in the proverbial parking lot.”
“We’ve got people on third base who think they’re ready to be in leadership, and I’m running right past them, and they say, ‘Who’s this guy?’ And it’s a guy like me that’s just been working hard, positioning, building relationships,” Hern said. “And I think that’s important going forward, and we’ll see what comes open.”
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